Many Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) in operation today are obsolete with respect to the needs of today’s quality requirements, according to Dave Delph, President of Advanced Industrial Measurement Systems (AIMS).
That is why Wagstaff Inc. of Spokane, Washington started the search for the latest CMM technology for their Applied Technologies Division (AT). AT is a custom engineering and contract manufacturing division that specializes in nuclear, hydropower, energy and defense components and projects.
Their search included many OEMs of the CMM industry, and with a short list of suppliers, they decided on AIMS and the Revolution® CMM. They chose the AIMS Revolution® “K” Series CMM with a measuring volume of x: 2000mm, y: 3300mm and z: 1500mm.
Besides the 33,000 lb. granite table, Wagstaff also installed an isolated foundation for the CMM and built a “building within a building” in their main shop to house the new machine, complete with HVAC system.
“Wagstaff has several portable measuring devices but we needed the accuracy and repeatability of a quality CMM,” stated Jeff Smutny, Manufacturing Engineering Manager. “In the past when our available measurement tools were not capable, we had no choice but to outsource the measurement services.”
Enter MODUS, Renishaw’s flagship software product, and AIMS as a solutions provider. The MODUS software provides a powerful platform for 5-axis movement and a user interface that allows native DMIS programs to be developed offline. AIMS performed on-site training for Wagstaff to familiarize the customer with the machine and to fast track the programming of their parts.
